As artists we are always feeling the pressure to fit into certain categories. Am I ever going to get selected for that Art Prize? Will that group of people over there ever notice me? Oh, my work is not political enough, my paintings aren’t big enough, my CV isn’t long enough. There are games that we will never be invited to join, categories that will never quite fit what we do. But there is another category, the one that you get to create, the one that is the most powerful of all, the one that defies comparison and you get to own. The Category of One. This is the one that belongs to the artist who gets up at dawn and just sketches people in the same café. This is the category that belongs to the sculptor who rides his bike to the top of his local mountain and creates with found objects when he gets there. I set out to be the only postman who could create an oil painting within 15 minutes while out delivering mail. Of course, being unique is not enough. We should also aim to become really, really good at what we do. But once we can define our own Category of One we feel the shackles of comparison and expectation begin to immediately slip away… our confidence starts to grow and our skills begin to improve in leaps and bounds. No-one will ever be able to create art in exactly the same way that you do. What’s your Category of One? .
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The Impressionists wanted to convey truth by painting what the fleeting glance saw. The unconsidered gaze. Not the myriad of detail. They painted quickly to get that look. This moon on water takes out detail to strip back to bare essentials. The forms and space. The single light. My coast at night .
New York colours are different. They ought to be more predictable. I thought they could be made to be mine, I wanted to bend them to my will. But they insisted. They started to teach me about themselves. ‘These together" they said. "Yes, these together. Believe your senses and not your colour wheel. Paint what we tell you” .
The problem with painting from a medium to far distance is the painting can appear flat. Solution? Placing an object or objects in the foreground can create a wonderful sense of depth which will make the viewer want to live in your painting forever. Generally, warm colours will capture more attention. Keep the background cool and with less detail.
The best use for these little cigar boxes is to paint in them. Oil paints to be bought when I get there. I am always looking for new and different ways to paint on the run. Travelling has many challenges for the artist. Finding materials, painting surfaces, then keeping the painting protected. And here as always - size matters - particularly portability.
This week I am trying these little beauties and will see what I can find to paint in Melbourne. Stay tuned! Joshua Reynold’s niece, Mary Palmer observed that (he) seems more bewitched than ever…painting from morning till night. Munch and Vincent needed the palette to receive the outpouring of their souls to clutch at sanity. Art is a demanding lover. Stealing thought and time and everything in between. The mistress ever present and unashamed she takes hold and will not release, her offspring on display to the world.
Your image on the screen is real estate. Digital real estate. It is your ad board. Your best foot forward. A well placed, well intentioned image can sell your work.
Choose the context of your work intentionally and make your real estate work for you. Photography… clear , well lit, squared up and cropped appropriately. No paintings leaning against garage doors or half the painting disappearing out of the photo. What you do with your digital chances are up to you but remember… location location location! |
AuthorRichard Claremont - artist. A peek into my studio. How I think. How I paint. How I run my art business. Bite sized daily chunks of goodness. Just me talking aloud, really. Join me for a chat over a cuppa. subscribe to newsletterArchives
August 2018
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